478 UNGULATES. 



accompany them in search of the ticks with which they ai-e infested. Mr. Hunter 



states, however, that in the Kilima-Njaro district rhinoceroses lie out in the open 



plain during the day. 



The common rhinoceros is met with in Southern Africa generally either 



solitary or in family-parties of two or three. In the latter case it is usually a 



female accompanied by her calf ; but Sir J. Willoughby met a male, female, and 



half-grown calf together, and as in this instance the horns of the male were much 



shorter than those of the female, it may be that the longer horns generally belong 



to the latter sex. Occasionally several full-grown individuals are seen together, 



Mr. Drummond stating that on one occasion he met with a party of six or seven. 



Sir J. Willoughby relates that once he shot one of a pair of these rhinoceroses, 



which was immediately fiercely attacked and rolled over by its companion. When 



a cow rhinoceros is killed, the calf generally remains by the dead body of its 



parent, from which it can with difficulty be dragged away. 



Like most other large African animals, the common rhinoceros is 

 Hunting. . & . ... 



rapidly decreasing in numbers from the incessant pursuit to which it 



is subjected in the southern and eastern portion of the continent. Writing in 



1881, Mr. Selous said that it was still fairly common in South-Eastem Africa, 



although it had been nearly exterminated in the regions to the westward. Only a 



few then remained on the Chobi, while between that river and the Zambesi there 



were none, and the natives said that there never had been any in that district. 



Northwards of the Zambesi they were, however, again met with, and from thence 



they doubtless extend through the whole of Central Africa to Abyssinia and the 



Sudan. In the Kilima-Njaro district Sir J. Willoughby's party found these 



rhinoceroses very plentiful in 1886, having on one occasion seen as many as 



sixteen head during a single day's march. 



In Southern Africa the common rhinoceros is hunted either by being followed 



up when out feeding on the plains, or by the hunter lying in wait at its drinking- 



places. In the Sudan the Hamram Arabs are, however, in the habit of chasing 



the rhinoceros on horseback, and of ham-stringing it by a dexterous stroke of a 



long two-handed sword. This sport, according to Sir S. Baker, tries the speed of 



the best horses, and that writer's account of the chase of a couple of these animals, 



which, after running more than two miles, defied further pursuit by escaping into 



thick cover, is probably known to many of our readers. An Arab hunter explained 



to Sir S. Baker, " that at all times the rhinoceros was the most difficult animal to 



sabre, on account of his extraordinary swiftness, and, although he had killed many 



with the sword, it was always after a long and fatiguing hunt, at the close of 



which the animal becoming tired generally turned to bay, in which case one 



hunter occupied his attention, while another galloped up behind and severed the 



hamstring. The rhinoceros, unlike the elephant, can go very well upon three legs, 



which enhances the danger, as one cut will not disable him." A less sporting 



method adopted by the Arabs of the same regions is to dig a hole about two feet 



deep by fifteen inches in diameter in the animal's run, and to place in the centre a 



rather elaborately-constructed snare, to which is attached a rope with a heavy log 



of wood at the other end. When the rhinoceros steps on the pit, one of its feet is 



caught in the running noose. When caught, the first effort of the rhinoceros is to 



